Wool in the Summer?

Hi everyone:

Since it's cooler in the basement than in the upper part of our house, I decided to tidy up some of my "almost ripe" fabrics. Wondering what I'm talking about? My "almost ripe" fabrics are woollen sweaters, suits and skirts that I have in large bins waiting to be "harvested" (cut apart so the fabric can be used in quilt projects). 

A partially harvested suit jacket

I have several bins of these and they take up a fair amount of room in the back room in our basement. I pulled out the bins and found that some of the suits had been cut up into large chunks, but they really weren't ready for any type of project. What to do with them? I thought that the quickest and easiest solution would be to cut them into squares and rectangles for quilt piecing. I got out my AccuQuilt GO! and some dies and started cutting.

Squares already cut

I had to iron a few pieces before they were ready for cutting, but things went quickly after that was done. I soon had a pile of squares and rectangles and thought that I might want some other shapes too. 

Rectangles done too!

Why shouldn't I have some wool appliqué shapes ready to go? Out came the circles and ovals dies. I used both the Big Shot Pro and my AccuQuilt GO! as I have dies from both AccuQuilt and Sizzix. I could've cut them all on the Big Shot Pro, but this involves using shims for the GO! dies and it was just easier to cut the circles on the AccuQuilt GO! and the ovals on the Big Shot Pro. 

Circles added to the cut group

By noon I had several piles of geometric shapes and a large bag of bits and pieces of wool. Now I have to decide if it is worth saving these small bits of seams and interfaced pieces or if they should be trashed. 

The remains of the day

Any suggestions? I'd love to hear what uses you may have for this type of material.

Back to Earth!

Hi everyone:


Wow! It's been almost a month since my last blog post and it's definitely time to get my head back to quilting.


As some of you know, I was away for the kids' spring break. This year we decided to try out cruising and spent a week on the Carnival Liberty, stopping at Cozumel, Belize, Roatan (Honduras) and Grand Cayman. Fortunately for us, we had amazing weather and smooth seas. 

Carnival Liberty - our home on the water for a week

A view of the pool area on the Lido deck

As we were first-time cruisers, we weren't sure what to expect, but I certainly didn't expect to be pampered as much as we were. I was a bit nervous about the cabin size, but found that our unit was very spacious and well appointed. I wish my house - and my quilt studio - were this well-organized and efficient! 

Relaxing in our room the first day.

There was ample room for our clothes and toiletry items in the bathroom as well as soft, luxurious bathrobes to wear. We had two rooms - one for my husband and I and one for our two kids. This turned out to be perfect! We had connecting balconies and were able to go back and forth between the rooms via the balcony. It provided us with a great view of the ports of call and allowed us to see the late stragglers coming back on-board! 

Our secret entry into the kids' room!

The only disappointment of the trip was that I didn't find any quilt shops at our stops. I'm sure my husband viewed this as a blessing as it helped to keep our expenditures down, but I was hoping to bring back at least a little bit of cotton. Oh well, I did find jewellery and other items to console myself :)

Ready for our first elegant night in the dining room.

I love embarrassing my teenagers!

Now that I'm back I am working on some more new patterns. I've just published my first AccuQuilt GO! and GO! Baby friendly table runner pattern called "Tweet-Heart". I had a lot of fun working on this one and it came together very quickly. As a matter of fact, I have several samples of this pattern as I couldn't stop at just one! I have to thank Ann Marie for helping me test this one out. I certainly appreciated her comments and quick reply to my request for testing out this pattern.

I've, I mean, my husband, has been putting the finishing touches on my next video series and I will be releasing the first part of it soon. We had a few more technical issues with the last video in this series, so it took a bit longer to complete, but it's now ready to go.

Before I get back to finishing more patterns and working on the video release, I'll leave you with a few final images of our Caribbean vacation.

Cozumel 

The beach at Mahogany Bay, Roatan Island

Time for a Pina Colada

AccuQuilt's Third Annual Barn Quilt Contest

Hi everyone:


Can you believe that it's been almost a year since AccuQuilt last hosted the Barn Quilt Contest? Well, it has and that means that it's once again time to start working on a new block to enter. 

Here's the scoop:

The contest entry dates are from March 16 until April 9, 2012, with the winner being announced at the AQS Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, KY (April 25-28). The winning block will be unveiled on June 22, 2012 during the AccuQuilt Let's GO! Quilting Retreats. The winning designs will be proudly displayed on AccuQuilt’s new home office.

One lucky winner will be chosen to receive a $1,000 AccuQuilt Shopping Spree along with a trip for two to Omaha, NE, to visit AccuQuilt’s new headquarters for the public unveiling of the winning barn quilt design. In addition, the runner up contestant will receive a $250 AccuQuilt Shopping Spree.
How do you enter? It's easy:


No purchase is necessary to enter; just click on the AccuQuilt Barn Quilt Design Contest badge on the right hand side of my blog to be taken directly to the entry site.

Prizes:

Grand prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of:

- One (1) $1,000 AccuQuilt Shopping Spree ($1,000 value)
- Round trip airfare for themselves and a friend from winner’s home and transportation to Omaha, NE, for an unveiling ceremony for their design on the AccuQuilt offices.
- Two (2) tickets to the 2nd Annual Let’s GO! Quilt Retreat in Fremont on June 20-21, 2012 for themselves and a friend.
- Three (3) night hotel stay (one room for three nights).
- Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for three days.

One runner up prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of:

- One (1) $250 AccuQuilt Gift Certificate
- One (1) ticket to the 2nd Annual Let’s GO! Quilt Retreat in Fremont on June 20-21, 2012.

The top one hundred (Top 100) quilt block designs will be selected by a panel of AccuQuilt’s management from among all eligible entries received. Each of the 100 winners will receive a prize package aggregate value of $25 consisting of:

- One (1) $25 AccuQuilt Rewards Points ($25 value)


Who wouldn't want to win an AccuQuilt shopping spree, not to mention having your block on the side of their corporate headquarters? So, get out your pencils and paper - or should I say, AccuQuilt GO!, GO! Baby or Studio - and start designing. 


Good luck!

Free patterns for Valentine's Day

Hi everyone:


It's February already and according to Wiarton Willie we can expect an early spring - yay! Except for a cold snap a couple of weeks ago, we've had a surprisingly mild winter here in Calgary, so I expect that we'll be seeing some more snow and cold temperatures before spring actually arrives. 

With February comes Valentine's Day, which is fast approaching (doesn't it seem like we just celebrated New Year's?). To reflect this upcoming romantic holiday I've changed the background of my blog to something more appropriate - and also because I love the colour red. 

While I'm not working on a Valentine's Day project myself, I do have several free patterns available which are perfect for this holiday. 


You can find the tutorial for Vintage Hearts under the AccuQuilt GO! Fun tab on my blog or on my Youtube channel. It's an AccuQuilt GO! friendly pattern so you'll be able to make it very quickly. 

Vintage Hearts
FREE pattern from Chatterbox Quilts

Vintage Hearts detail

If you don't have enough time to make a wall hanging, you might have time for a small pincushion or shelf sitter. Again, the AccuQuilt GO! cutter comes to the rescue. You can find instructions on making these little projects here. While I used recycled fabric to make mine, you can choose any type of fabric that you have available - preferably in a red or pink shade.

Pincushions using AccuQuilt GO! cutter dies

If you enjoy hand embroidery, I also have a FREE heart-shaped pincushion or shelf sitter pattern available. The Flourishing Heart pattern can be found here.

Flourishing Heart pincushion or shelf sitter
FREE pattern from Chatterbox Quilts

I didn't realize that I had so many heart-related patterns! I hope that one of these will be exactly what you need if you're looking for that perfect Valentine's Day project.

Fabric Fundamentals - Episode 1

Hi everyone:


I'm thrilled to introduce a new feature for Chatterbox Quilts - videos! Each week, I will be exploring a specific aspect of quilting and will be posting a video about that feature every Monday. I'll be starting with the basics and then moving on to other points. 


While I have many ideas, I'm always eager to hear what you'd like to see, so if there is something that you've always be wondering about and would like to see a video on that subject, please leave a comment below.


So, without further ado, let me present my first video in my Fabric Fundamentals series - fabric grain. In this video I will be looking at fabric grain and how it affects our quilting. I learned some things about fabric grain that I wasn't aware of before I did this video and hope that you will pick up some information as well. 


Please subscribe to my Youtube channel so you won't miss out on any future episodes.


Happy viewing!

Fabric Fundamentals - Episode 1 - Fabric Grain by Chatterbox Quilts

A Tale of Two Quilts

Hi everyone:


This is a tale of two quilts - one for a celebration and one for healing. 


If you know me, you'll know that I can drag a project out for a very long time (you only have to count my UFO's to know this), but give me a deadline and I'll have a quilt whipped up lickety split. 


A few years ago - 6, to be precise - I started to design an anniversary quilt for my parent's 50th anniversary. I had lots of time - almost a year - to finish it. Piece of cake! Well, the designing took longer than I thought (boy, did I learn a lot during this process!) and then I had to put it together and, well, I think I was actually in over my head on this one. Needless to say, I didn't get it done in time for their 50th anniversary. I did get most of it finished in time for their 53th anniversary, but was stuck on how to quilt it. Again, I was overwhelmed. Finally, I tackled it and it turned out not too bad. Then, I was hung up on doing a continuous bias binding, which I had never done before. Again, I eventually got to it and finally the quilt was done. In time for their 55th wedding anniversary. Well, actually the quilt was finished a couple of months prior to this and I was able to give it to my parents when they were out visiting me this fall.

Mom and Dad with their 50th anniversary quilt

Just after their visit, my father had a heart attack and so another quilt needed to be made. I used my Chock a Block pattern since it's quick and easy. I was under a deadline on this one as I was flying back to Ontario to see my Dad and wanted to take the quilt with me. So, I bought the fabric Thursday afternoon, started cutting and stitching on Friday, finished the top on Saturday and quilted it on Sunday (thanks, Cathy!). 

"Out of the Rough" from
Chatterbox Quilts' "Chock a Block" pattern

Back of the quilt flipped to the front to show pieced top

So, what did I learn from these two quilts? Well, a few things. First, most projects aren't really as difficult as I think they are. Second, I can finish a quilt in just a few days when I put my mind to it. And third, I need to spend more time quilting and less time thinking about the quilting!

Let's Get GO!-ing

Hi everyone:

In a previous post I mentioned that I would be teaching a class, Let's Get GO!-ing, about the AccuQuilt GO! cutter at Bow Bench Retreat in October. I'm so excited about this class and I know it's going to be lots of fun. In case you aren't on Facebook and haven't seen all the details, here is what you need to know.

WHAT:  Let's Get GO!-ing class


WHERE:  Bow Bench Retreat, Carseland, AB, Canada


WHEN:  October 15, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

One of the pattern choices you'll have at the class.

WHAT'S INCLUDED: Instruction, Chatterbox Quilts pattern, use of GO! cutter and dies, 
lunch, refreshments and fun!
WHAT'S THE PRICE: $75.00
WHY: Because we're GO!-ing to have a great time!

In this class, you'll:

• Learn about the AccuQuilt GO! cutter
• Use the AccuQuilt GO! cutter and dies
• Make a fusible web appliqué table runner and personalize it by cutting appliqués with the GO!

AccuQuilt GO! cutter, die and mat

If you've always been curious about this fabric die cutter, this will be a great opportunity to find out all about it. I'll answer all your questions and you'll have the opportunity to try out the machine yourself. But be careful - once you try it, you'll be addicted and the fabric in your stash won't be safe! 

I hope you'll join me this fall for a great day of instruction and fun.

Campfire Fun!

Hi everyone:

Camping, s'mores and summer just seem to go along hand in hand. If you haven't had the opportunity to roast some marshmallows over a campfire this summer, this is the next best thing! AccuQuilt, Fabric.com and Fons and Porter are joining together to offer you a chance to win big. Here are all the details:

Join in some campfire fun for a chance to win great prizes totaling over $1500!  Fons & Porter, Fabric.com, and AccuQuilt have teamed up to provide us all with a huge giveaway on Facebook.  Simply “Like” these Facebook pages and gain access to all three sections of a secret code that unlock your chance to win!  Follow the camp trail on the bottom of each sponsor’s page and it will take you to the next campground to retrieve the next section of code.  Once you’ve captured all three pieces of the secret code, go to www.accuquilt.com/indianblocks and enter the full code to register to win! 

Your summer camping trip begins at AccuQuilt, so get GO!-ing at http://www.facebook.com/accuquilt?sk=wall#!/accuquilt?sk=app_10467688569

This contest starts today and continues on until August 29; winners will be announced on August 30.

Don't miss out on this great opportunity and good luck!

WIWOW - Aug. 10, 2011

Hi everyone: 


 Yes, it's Wednesday again and I've been working on some new projects, including a new quilt design using the AccuQuilt GO! Tumbler die. I'm also working on something for my daughter's birthday, but that's a secret for now (sorry, Sarah, nice try!).

AccuQuilt GO! 6 1/2" Tumbler die - already used this in another project too

If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for appliqué - specifically fusible web appliqué. My friend, and fellow quilting addict, Cathy Keevill, of Pine Freckle Forest, likes to tease me about this predilection I have for appliqué since I always manage to sneak in some in practically all my projects. 

Appliqué even on my pincushions!

If you follow Cathy's blog, you'll know that she's been working on some quilts that seem to need an extra element to finish them. We discussed one quilt in particular and I suggested that a bit of appliqué might do the trick. I don't think this is really what she wanted to hear, probably because this would mean quite a bit more work, just when Cathy thought she was almost finished this project. But it's undeniable - sometimes a quilt just needs a bit of appliqué - or even worse (in Cathy's opinion), embellishment. 


Which brings me to the project I am currently working on. Fairly straightforward, just alternating patterned and plain tumbler blocks. But they definitely need something. 

These plain blocks are just a little too plain!

What could it be? Appliqué, of course! So, I pulled out some of my other AccuQuilt GO! dies to see what would play nicely together. I thought that flowers would be suitable for the design and fabric I was using in the quilt. The Rose of Sharon (I use this die a lot!) and Feathers dies came to my rescue. First I cut out all of the die shapes on both dies in paper so I could play around with the arrangement on the blocks and this is what I came up with.

This will be appliquéd onto the plain blocks.

See, doesn't that make all the difference? I'm also considering adding a yo-yo or a button (yes, Cathy, these would be dreaded embellishments!) to the centre of the flower, but will decide on this once the top is together. 


Now I have to cut out the appliqué shapes and get this quilt together. That's if one of my other projects isn't calling out to have some appliqué added to it :)


Do you add embellishments to your quilt projects, and if so, what are your favourite ones to use? 

WIWOW - July 13, 2011

Hi everyone:

Here's what I was working on the past few days. Very preliminary in this photo and you'll have to wait a bit until it's completely together and I've photographed it. Or, if you're in the Calgary area, you'll be able to see this project at Country Creations quilt show this upcoming Saturday from 10:00 until 4:00, where I'll be promoting my upcoming Let's Get GO!-ing class. I'll be teaching this pattern at Bow Bench Retreat this October. I can tell you that it uses GO! dies and is super quick to construct. I'll have more photos of this pattern on future blog posts.

Also this week, in anticipation of the Calgary premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, my daughter, Sarah, has created an embroidery set consisting of Harry, He Who Must Not Be Named (Voldemort) and her own version of the Deathly Hallows symbol.

Harry Potter - notice the HP props - no
shortage of these in our household!

Not only did she create the designs, but she stitched up the samples too. I must admit that her hand embroidery is better than mine (but don't tell her that!). She was very diligent in finishing the samples so we could get these up for sale. You'll find the set at Chatterbox Quilts should you be a Harry Potter freak fan and embroiderer, such as Sarah. 

How was I involved in this pattern, you ask? Well, who do you think did all the pattern instructions? Sometimes I think it's easier to actually make the projects than to do the computer work, which always seems to take longer than it should. Or maybe I'm just a little slower than I should be at it :)

Off to finish up my sample so it'll be ready for the show on Saturday. If you're there and see me, be sure to say hello.

Bust your stash!

Hi everyone:


I'm currently working on another sample for an upcoming class, which gives me a chance to clear out some of my stash - and I have lots of stash to clear out!


Do you ever wonder if you have too much fabric in your studio? Of course, "too much" is such a relative term, don't you agree? Well, finally, there's a reward for having stash-itis. AccuQuilt is having a "Bust Your Stash" photo challenge and here's all the information you need to enter it.

Bust My Stash Photo Challenge

Have you stared at your fabric stash and wished that you had the time and energy to cut up your fabric for future projects?  AccuQuilt has the answer!  Click on the following link to participate: http://on.fb.me/qtyUoq or go to AccuQuilt’s Facebook page and click “Like”.  Then go to the ‘Bust My Stash’ tab under their profile picture and upload a picture of your fabric stash.  Submit your photo by Friday, July 22^nd and you’ll be eligible to win a GO! Mix & Match 12” Starter Set.  The photo with the most votes by July 31^st wins!  Photos will be voted on by viewers and fans of the AccuQuilt Facebook page using the following criteria: relevance, creativity, and originality.  Share with your friends during the voting period to increase your odds of winning!

In case you're wondering what my stash looks like, well, here are some pictures of it. 

Fat quarters in drawer unit; kits and fabrics with patterns in
boxes - all stored in my sauna. No, I don't quilt in the sauna - yet!

Novelties and 30's prints - I've cleaned this up
since this photo was taken. Well, a little bit anyway.

Fabrics stored by colour - sort of - under my cutting table.

Okay, so it doesn't look very tidy and I do intend to straighten it up - someday. Right now I'm more focussed on actually quilting and preparing some new patterns. 

Hopefully this doesn't overwhelm you. I also have batiks stored in a large container, as well as charm packs and jelly rolls which are also packed away elsewhere. It would be nice if all my fabric was in one area, but that's not possible in my quilt studio, so it will stay like this for now. The main thing is that I know where all my fabric is and it's sorted according to my own particular system so I can find whatever fabric I need quickly. Now, where did I put that polka dot fabric...

Hoping to see your fabric stash on the AccuQuilt challenge. Good luck!

WIWOW July 6, 2011

Hi everyone:


Okay, you caught me. I'm actually posting this on Thursday as I was so wrapped up in printing out patterns yesterday to send off to my wholesale distributor, The Pattern Peddlers. I was up late last night to finish them all and wrap up the parcel so I could drop it at the post office this morning. Another thing off my list - check!

I have several more items to complete this week, but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been very busy with deadlines these past few weeks and it will be nice when I've actually met them and can then enjoy some of the summer sunshine.

As you know, I have been working with my AccuQuilt GO! cutter these past few months and am still amazed as how many ideas I have for the dies, especially the appliqué ones. I really thought that it would be limiting to use these since they are typically in only one size. I'm delighted to discover that I was wrong. The ideas continue to flow. 

Since I am partial to fusible web appliqué, the GO! dies are perfect for my projects. I just fuse the fusible web to the back of my chosen fabric, pick a die, whip it though and voilà - all ready to become part of a new project. Of course then I have to finish the edges, which takes me a bit longer than the fun cutting and fusing part. In order to hasten the completion of my projects (I'm an impatient gal!), I tend to use a narrow zigzag stitch to finish my appliqué pieces. Most of my projects are wall hangings, so this stitch is sufficient to hold the pieces in place. Below is an example of the look of this type of finish.

Narrow zigzag stitch to finish appliqué pieces

I find this stitch is not as time (and thread) consuming as a satin stitch, however it is not as permanent either. The satin stitch is more elegant in appearance, definitely more visible and is better at holding the appliqués down wash after wash. While I have matched my thread to the appliqué pieces in this project, I sometimes use a contrasting thread for a more fun and relaxed look or to tie various appliqué shapes together.

I used a contrasting thread on the
dog appliqués in Posh Pets

Again, contrasting thread was used on the cat appliqués
to achieve a uniform look to all the appliqués

For more information on appliquéing, I rely on these must-have-in-your-library reference books:

Machine Appliqué for the Terrified Quilter by Sharon PedersonAppliqué: the basics and beyond by Janet Pittman

Mastering Machine Appliqué by Harriet Hargrave (I purchased this when I first started quilting and didn't even know what appliqué really was and am I ever glad I did!)

The Ultimate Appliqué Guidebook by Annie Smith (I just received this book yesterday and it is wonderful and very readable)

as well as I-go-to-these-all-the-time blogs and websites:

Holly Mabutas of Eat Cake Graphics (Cute patterns, great stamps and a wonderful hand appliqué technique)

Kay Mackenzie's blog, All About Appliqué (Kay has wonderful information about appliqué techniques on her blog and in all of her books) 

Obviously, there are many more reference books and websites than I have listed and I find my local library has a good collection for me to browse. 

I'd love to hear about your preferred appliqué technique and what resources you use for reference and learning.